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Hokkaido cops: Ropeway worker dies after body caught in pulley

A male worker at Mt. Hakodate Ropeway died after his thighs were jammed in machinery for two hours (Fuji News Network)
A male worker at Mt. Hakodate Ropeway died after his thighs were jammed in machinery for two hours (Twitter)

HOKKAIDO (TR) – A male worker at Mt. Hakodate Ropeway died after he became caught in its machinery during maintenance, temporarily stranding some 1,000 visitors on the mountain summit, police said on Monday.

Ryohei Narita, 26, was inspecting cables alone at Sanroku Station of the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway at around 5 p.m. on Sunday when his thighs were caught in a pulley wheel of an arriving gondola, TV Asahi reports (Dec. 12).

Firefighters freed Narita some two hours later as he received on-site emergency aid, but he died midnight Sunday at a hospital despite the efforts of doctors.

The ropeway was shut down and the roughly 1,000 visitors stranded at the summit of Mt. Hakodate were transported to the base of the mountain by taxi by 9:30 p.m., police said.

Police are investigating the cause of death and the circumstances of the incident.